Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Voodoo Gold by James H. Jenks

Imagine that you are nearing forty with a wife and kids. Now, envision that even though you aren’t a professional soldier, you’ve signed up more than once for the Army Reserves. The first time you signed the dotted line was to pay for school. Then you resigned to help pay the bills after college. What may have seemed like easy money has now landed you in the middle of a war.

Voodoo Gold, by James H Jenks, chronicles SSG Jenks’s (same name as the author) time in Iraq. Jenks doesn’t like to complain. He’s the guy who always tries […]

Review: The Missing Portrait by Geraldine Glodek

The Missing Portrait by Geraldine Glodek tells the story of Mary Frances, her mother, five men, and Sharon, the young woman who may live today because Mary Frances had sex with four boys (she had expected three) in 1962 on the top floor of a former United Mineworkers building in a Pennsylvania coal town. The two omniscient narrators are rats, and they are adept at describing the towns in Pennsylvania and Maine, their people, history, and culture.

Mary Frances’ mother, Joyce, is obsessed with denying her daughter’s pregnancy, to the point of explaining that Mary Frances is missing one high […]

Elaine L. Orr2019-01-22T17:56:36+02:00September 14th, 2012|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: To Kill the Duke by Sam Moffie

After World War Two, the United States of America began rebuilding but missed the opportunity to enjoy the peace it fought hard for by establishing a Cold War with the U.S.S.R. Against such a backdrop, To Kill the Duke juxtaposes the inner circle of spies and assassins serving at the pleasure of Leader Stalin in Communist Moscow with the cast and crew of a Hollywood movie being filmed in a Utah desert in 1954.

The plot is centered around The Conquerer, starring John Wayne and made famous in part for inspiring debate whether it is one of the worst […]

Lela Michael2019-01-22T17:57:44+02:00June 15th, 2012|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Men's Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park-Draft

In some ways, this was a modern tale of Mary Poppins, only this family is a bit more tragic. While Julie is seeking independence from home and moves away to attend college, she moves in with a family friend. Witnessing firsthand how far independence can push away people, how pain and time do stand still when not dealt with, and that people only see what they want, Julie faces some hard truths and realizes that nothing is ever at it seems.